


Day 331

by Josh_the_Bard



Series: A Year in Kirkwall [331]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age II
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-27
Updated: 2020-11-27
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:47:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 899
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27746200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Josh_the_Bard/pseuds/Josh_the_Bard
Series: A Year in Kirkwall [331]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1589257
Kudos: 1





	Day 331

Lady Elegant stood on the wall over the north of Kirkwall watching the long train of wagons that had barely moved in three hours. Somewhere in all that there was a wagonload of reagents she needed to fill her upcoming potion orders. If they were left outside the city walls until tomorrow half of them would go off before she could properly preserve them. Only the merchants who made the most regular of trips to the city were prepared for the new taxes and the city guards were checking everyone to root out the smugglers. To her credit Aveline had protested this madness until she was told her guard’s budget would be tied to the new taxes.

The city was on the verge of another collapse and not enough of the nobility cared if it meant they would amass more wealth. She and Varric had done their best to try to mitigate the damage but it wasn’t enough. When they solved one problem two more appeared. Meredith was the most powerful force in Kirkwall but she spent her time chasing maleficar that were only there half the time. Grand Cleric Elthina was useless, content to ‘let the Maker guide the city’ whatever that meant.

Elegant had spent months sowing the seeds for this moment. Hopefully it would all pay off.

Lady Elegant left the wall and went to the council chambers. When she had seen the mess outside the walls this morning she had called an emergency meeting. Technically it was not something within her powers as a Lady of Kirkwall (only the Viscount could call meetings without consensus) but she was counting on everyone not wanting to miss out on an important vote right now.

Lady Elegant was pleased that at least three quarters of the representatives had turned up. Enough to pass a motion. There was a general sense of agitation in the air. A lot of the old families had brought back old rivalries while scrambling to get ahead. It had had the unforeseen benefit of having most of the noble with a grudge against Elegant to drop it in favour of their classic enemies. Lady Elegant was considered very much new money though Wendalin’s family had arrived in Kirkwall during the Fourth Blight.

“Why ‘ave you called zis meeting?” Guillaume de Launcet demanded when Lady Elegant appeared.

“You must all realize that the city is spiraling out of control,” she said. I have hundreds of sovereigns worth of alchemical supplies spoiling in the sun because they can’t get through the gates. I know I’m not the only one in this position. The alliance with the merchant’s guild was meant to help the city get back to normal but with everyone pulling in their owh directions we are causing more problems then we are solving. We need a single unified vision and a single leader to make decisions. We need to elect a new Viscount.”

“And you mean to be that Viscount?” someone asked.

‘I’m single handedly running this city anyway,’ she thought to herself. Out loud she said “If that is the will of this councill I will not refuse.”

“She would much rather have her pet apostate on the throne,” someone else jeered.  
“He’s not even here to make his case himself.”

“Because he’s outside fighting bandits who are attacking the merchants camped outside the city,” said Lady Glendon, one of the few nobles Elegant considered a friend. “Lord Hawke works every day for the betterment of this city. He would never have let the Qunari take his throne room. He would not have tolerated them in our city for three years. He sees problems and solves them.” There was a general murmur of agreement there.

Lady Elegant suppressed a simile of relief. She had been subtly talking up Hawk’s leadership qualities and value on loyalty to Glendon all year. If the idea had come from Elegant, there would have been mass pushback as a matter of course. Now at least the opposition was more divided.

“The templars can hardly keep magic under control as it is,” Lord Regner protested. “If we put an apostate on the throne, the Divine could declare an exalted march on us.”

Elegant had also been praising Hawke to Lady Regner who no doubt ranted about the Champion to her husband (Lady Regner disagreed with Elegant on principle.) Lord Regner, being naturally suspicious, probably invented the idea that his wife was going all in in her criticisms of Hawke to hide her admiration for the man. 

“And who would be a better candidate?” Lady Elegant scoffed. “You?”

“And why not me?” he said. Elegant could not have set him up better. Lord Regner had many enemies among the conservative elements of the city so any rally of support behind him would be mixed at best.

“It is too soon to make such a decision,” Guillume protested. “And not everyone is here.”

“A week then,” Elegant said. “We will meet again in one week’s time to elect a new Viscount.”

All Hawke had to do was not stir up too much trouble between now and then. If he spent the whole week fighting bandits his election was all but assured, Meredith be damned. Elegant prayed to the Maker to keep Hawke out of trouble for just one week. She wasn't sure in even a God was up to the task.


End file.
